Cheryl E. Leonard is a composer, performer, and instrument builder who creates instruments from unusual raw materials—everything from glass shards and pinecones to glaciers and box springs. This interview took place at the Exploratorium on October 10, 2013, just prior to her performance of Selections from Antarctica: Music from the Ice with Phillip Greelief.

Cheryl E. Leonard is a composer, performer, and instrument builder who creates instruments from unusual raw materials—everything from glass shards and pinecones to glaciers and box springs. Here she performs Selections from Antarctica: Music from the Ice with Phillip Greelief, as part of the Exploratorium’s Resonance series.

There’s no mistaking the distinct voice—whether throbbing, singing, or screaming—of an electric guitar. How does one instrument produce so many different sounds? We visit with Bay Area electric guitarists Ava Mendoza and Henry Kaiser, plus Subway Guitars’ very own Fat Dog, to explore the components of this versatile instrument, getting down to pick-ups, “pots,” and pedals that make it sing.

Exploratorium composer Wayne Grim used the video of the transit to create a sound composition in real time. As the video signal was received by Wayne's computer, a program he wrote converted the signal into a unique aural experience. http://www.waynegrim.com

In this age of iPods and MP3s, the vinyl record (still) stands as an object of curiosity and ongoing admiration. What’s the real difference between a 78 and a 45? Why do they call it “cutting a record” when an album is recorded? Music enthusiast Wade Wright of San Francisco takes us back in time to explain the history and technology of vinyl records.

On August 4, 2011 After Dark Blue delved into the color of cool with explorations of indigo, underwater vision, color photography, and blues performances by Lady Bianca, Bobbie Webb, and Fillmore Slim.

Thao Nguyen is a prolific San Francisco-based musician and songwriter who has recorded four albums already in her young career. In this candid reflection on her songwriting practice, she describes her process of shaping her emotional struggles and introspection into words, music, and then into exuberant performance. At the core of her practice is a drive to mine her personal experiences to provide empathy and camaraderie for others going through life’s darker moments.

The original multimedia storytelling device, puppetry dates back many thousands of years and spans cultures worldwide. Join us for a back-stage look at an artistic collaboration that brings together a composer, musicians, puppeteers, and, of course, puppets to bring a story to life.

Webcasts made possible through
the generosity of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, The Jim Clark
Endowment for Internet Education, the McBean Family Foundation,.and the Corporation for Educational Networks Initiatives in California (CENIC).